THE Public Service Commission (PSC) showed the highest sense of responsibility by issuing a press release on May 19, 2008, clarifying the status of 27th BCS results. This is a rare case of sensibility of showing respect to the public sentiment by a statutory body like the PSC. The people have the right to know the status of the results. The PSC, before anybody's direction of finger, disclosed the truth before the public. In other words, it performed the job of ensuring people's right to information. Every government department should, therefore, follow the example of PSC.
The honourable chairman of PSC has categorically said in an interview with media that after having the court verdict, it will take 1.5 - 20 months' time to publish the results.
Meanwhile, the honourable High Court passed its verdict on July 03, 2008. I personally believe that the chairman of the PSC is a man of commitment and a target-oriented person. Surely, he will keep his word. But by this time, different news items and personal opinions are coming out in various dailies which might confuse the stakeholders and lead to a misunderstanding in public mind. This may jeopardise the newly created good image of the PSC. One pertinent question related to the 27th BCS results is the implementation of the newly proposed quota system. The PSC can make it clear that the new quota system is not applicable to the 27th BCS results, because the condition was not made public at the time of publishing the recruitment notice.
One thing that strikes me very much is that, the PSC didn't comply with the advice of the government. The Council of Advisers, at its meeting held in June 2007 cancelled the viva voce of 27th BCS examination and requested the PSC to hold it again 'within the shortest possible time'. The decision punished both the guilty and innocent candidates, though no law of any country allows punishing innocent people, while punishing guilty people for their inability to identify the guilty. The process of punishment started after they took part in the second interview, seeing the rule issued by high court and so on. Records show that it took about nine months to complete the viva-voce, while the previous viva-voces were completed by three to four months. The PSC should be more cautious regarding time for viva-voce for this exam, in particular.
The PSC is an established constitutional body. It has excellent computer and personnel set-up. If the new marks have been entered in the computer (it was wise to make entry at once), then it becomes matter of an hour to have the results. When the chairman told the media that it would take two months to publish the results, many thought that marks have not been entered in the computer. If it is so, then it is another misfortune for the candidates. The candidates thus lost more than a year not because of their fault but because of their participation in this exam.
Under the above circumstances, may I earnestly request the caretaker government to look into the matter and relieve the innocent students and their guardians of anxieties and agonies by advising the PSC to publish the results of the 27th BCS examination by August, 2008.
Nasir bin Zahir
Trishal,
Mymensing.
